(Non)regularity of projections of measures invariant under geodesic flow (Q1776109)

In [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2003, 511--526 (2003; Zbl 1018.37003)], \textit{F. Ledrappier} and \textit{E. Lindenstrauss} proved the following remarkable result: Let \(M\) be a closed hyperbolic surface and let \(\mu\) be a Borel-probability measure on the unit tangent bundle \(T^1M\) of \(M\) which is invariant and ergodic under the geodesic flow. The image of \(\mu\) under the projection \(\pi : T^1 M \to M\) is a Borel-probability measure \(\pi\mu\) on \(M\). If the metric entropy of \(\mu\) is bigger than \(\frac{1}{2}\), then \(\pi \mu\) is absolutely continuous with respect to the Lebesgue measure on \(M\). More precisely, the Hausdorff dimension of \(\pi\mu\) equals the minimum of \(2\) and the Hausdorff dimension of \(\mu\). In the paper under review, the authors give a modified proof of this result and a more precise analysis of the projection of flow-invariant measures on \(T^1M\) which is closer to the ideas of \textit{Y. Peres} and \textit{W. Schlag} [Duke Math. J. 102, 193--251 (2000; Zbl 0961.42007)]. Answering a question of Ledrappier and Lindenstrauss, the authors show the following. If there is some \(\alpha > 0\) such that the \(\alpha\)-energy \( I_\alpha (\mu) = \int_{T^1 M} \int_{T^1 M} d (x, y)^{-\alpha} d\mu (x) \, d\mu (y)\) is finite then for every \(\gamma < (\alpha - 2)/2\), the projected measure \(\pi \mu\) has fractional derivative of order \(\gamma\) in \(\mathcal{L}^2\), i. e., \(\int | \int e^{-i \xi \cdot x} d \pi \mu_{(x)} |^2 | \xi |^{2\gamma} d \mathcal{L}^2 (\xi) < \infty\) in each suitable coordinate chart on \(M\). Finally, the authors give a simple example for the fact that projections of flow-invariant Borel probability measures on the unit tangent bundle of a closed Riemannian manifold of dimension at least \(3\) do not necessarily preserve a Hausdorff dimension: There is a measure \(\nu\) on the unit tangent bundle of the \(3\)-torus \(T^3\) which is invariant under the geodesic flow and of Hausdorff dimension \( \dim_H \nu > 2\) and which projects to a measure on \(T^3\) of Hausdorff dimension at most \(2\).